Blackberry PlayBook will be $200 on Black Friday

This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use.

The latest tablet to join the ranks of the defeated devices lying in the wake of the iPad has finally had its price cut dramatically. Selling only 200,000 units, the BlackBerry PlayBook has fallen well short of expectations, forcing the company to cut its losses and give consumers a deep discount in an effort to move units. If you have about $200 to spare this upcoming Black Friday, you can get your hands on a 16GB version of the device. That price is reasonable as the PlayBook is a decent tablet device… but it’s also the same amount as the Kindle Fire.

Initially hailed as the savior of RIM, the PlayBook launched with impressive hardware specs, but with glaring omissions in its OS that doomed the device to mediocrity. Users were stunned to find out that there was no native email or calendar software included with the tablet, which are linchpins of the BlackBerry culture. Consumers could not justify spending $499 for a device that had to be paired via Bluetooth to check email. The unit just could not compete in the same space as the iPad after the crackberry faithful abandoned ship.

RIM’s loss is your gain however, as Staples stores in both Canada and the US will be slashing prices this holiday season. Canadian Geeks can pick up the $199 16GB PlayBook starting December 18th, with the American sale starting on Black Friday. If you need a device with more storage space, there are deals to be had as well with Staples wanting $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB device. Still a significant savings. Not a bad gift to pick up for yourself or a loved one.